Roll transport apparatus

ABSTRACT

Transport apparatus utilizing a carrying strap permitting one individual to load and transport a roll of sheet plastic material without damage. The apparatus utilizes three upwardly directed equally spaced U-shaped roll supports, A supporting base for the center roll support is arranged to permit placing the apparatus on a planar surface for loading. The base is attached to the center roll support through a locking extension with a number of outward positions to eliminate damaging the roll during loading. The base is attached to the end roll supports telescopically to accommodate different length rolls, which lock at various lengths to ensure positive roll support. Pivots for the telescopic attachments to the base permit pivoting the end roll supports together to minimize storage space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention deals with apparatus to enable an individual to carry aroll of vinyl material with no damage to the vinyl.

2. Description of the Related Art

A problem arises when an individual attempts to transport a roll ofsheet vinyl or plastic for flooring. Sheet plastic is very susceptibleto damage when being transported because even the slightest bending willcause it to crack, break, buckle or deform. It is difficult to avoidbuckling and deformation which can cause the sheet vinyl to changecolor. Any of these events will result in having to replace the entireroll of vinyl or plastic at considerable cost.

Vinyl plastic is particularly vulnerable to these problems. Installersmust be very careful when lifting and carrying a roll of any plastic.Currently the problem has been addressed in two ways. One way is to havea number of individuals support the roll at several locations whilelifting and transporting the roll. Another way is to retain the rollwith the cardboard tube used for shipment for transport retainedinternally. Both approaches require additional manpower. The firstrequires multiple individuals, and the second delays opening the cartoncontaining the roll until at the installation site where removal is moredifficult because specialized equipment normally used to open a cartonis not available.

It would be desirable if a roll of sheet plastic material could belifted and moved on site by only one person while the roll is supportedat a number of locations along its length to prevent any damage. Itwould also be desirable if the transport apparatus could be placed uponthe floor before loading the roll and the relative location of supportsadjusted with respect to the roll to minimize the possibility of damageto the roll during loading and transporting. Since a roll of flooringmaterial is often quite long, it would be desirable if apparatus used tosupport the roll could be folded for storage to minimize the requiredstorage space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The transport apparatus for transporting a roll of sheet plasticmaterial utilizes a plurality of roll supports (optimally three), eachhaving an upwardly oriented U-shape. One roll support is centered alongthe apparatus, and the other two roll supports are located near oppositeends of the roll. A base mounts the center roll support. The end rollsupports are spaced apart from the center roll support and are carriedby two telescoping connectors extending outwardly in opposite directionsfrom the base. The telescoping connectors permit adjusting the spacingbetween the center and end roll supports to accommodate different lengthrolls. The telescoping connectors can have spring locks to secure theconnectors at a plurality of spacings for different length rolls.

The base has a generally planar surface beneath the center roll supportcovered by a soft material such as carpeting to protect a supportingsurface. When the base planar surface is placed upon a horizontalsurface, the apparatus is oriented such that the U-shaped roll supportsface upward.

The base support has adjusting apparatus to change the amount that thecenter roll support extends toward the roll. This adjustment permitschanging the center roll support vertical extension toward the roll ascompared to the end roll supports before loading the roll. Spring loadedlock apparatus secures the center roll support adjusting apparatus at anumber of locations to provide a number of different center rollpositions. This eliminates a potential problem of the roll bending orbuckling while being loaded upon the transport apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention will become moremanifest to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdescriptions, taken in connection and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an overview of the transport apparatus supporting a roll ofplastic sheet material;

FIG. 2 is an overview of the transport apparatus supporting a roll ofplastic material on a floor showing the internal structure;

FIG. 3 is a detail view of the base, center roll support and adjacentparts;

FIG. 4 is cross-section 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is cross-sectional 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is cross-section 6=6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 cross-section 7-7 of FIG. 6

FIG. 8 is cross-section view 8-8 FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is an end view of the transport apparatus with the telescopingconnectors extended with the end roll supports interleaved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show transport apparatus 10 supporting a sheet vinyl roll12. Roll 12 is supported by center roll support 14 and end roll supports16 and 18. Roll supports 14, 16 and 18 all have a generally U-shapedextension sized and aligned to receive roll 12. Center roll support 14is mounted upon base 20. Base 20 supports transport apparatus 10 onplanar surface 11. Telescoping connector 22 connects end roll support 16to base 20, and telescoping connector 24 connects end roll support 18 tobase 20.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show base 20 with additional details of thebase, center roll support 14, and telescoping connectors 22 and 24. Base20 has a planar base plate 20A with carpet 20B attached to its bottomsurface to protect planar supporting surface 11. U-shaped base bracket20C is welded to base plate 20A. Perpendicular base extensions 20C1 and20C2 are welded to base bracket 20C and extend upwardly perpendicular tobase 20. Holes 24E and 24F through extensions 20C provide access forbolt 24E which is secured by nut 24F. Tube 24 abuts bolt 24E and iscentered by sleeves 24G1 and 24G2 over bolt 24E.

Roll support 14 has downward directed parallel roll support extensions14A and 14B welded to the outer surface. Base extensions 20C1 and 20C2are spaced apart and slidably adjacent within and between roll supportextensions 14A and 14B. U-shaped spring 20D is deployed between baseextensions 20C1 and 20C2.

Spring 20D presses outwardly against attached locking pin 20E whichholds the pin in place.

Locking pin 20E slidably mates with a single hole 20F through baseextension 20C1 and one of a number of aligned, vertical, equally spacedand equally sized holes 14C through vertical roll support extension 14A.This permits moving center roll support 14 and providing a lockingarrangement between the center roll support and base 20 at a number oflocations determined by the location of holes 14C. Since pin 20E has arounded outer head 20E1 this will cause it to retract from hole 20E1 inextension 14A and permit moving the center roll support 14 relative tobase 20 when sufficient force is exerted between center roll support 14and base 20 permitting the center roll support to be moved with respectto base 20. When pin 20E is opposite the next adjacent hole 14C inextension 14A it will extend outward through hole 14C and again lockcenter roll support 14 to base 20. This permits adjusting the relativeextension of center roll support 14 with respect to end roll supports 16and 18. This process can be repeated until the desired extension isobtained. This adjustment is made before roll 12 is loaded to ensurethat loading the roll will not buckle or otherwise deform the roll.

FIGS. 2, 6 and 7 show the arrangement for telescoping connector 24 andalso for identical telescoping connector 22. Telescoping connector 24has an outer tube 24A and an inner tube 24B sized such that the innertube slidably fits within the outer tube. A number of equal sizedaligned holes 24A1 are provided along the length of outer tube 24A, anda hole of the same size namely hole 24B1 is provided in inner tube 24B.Stud 24C, which has a rounded outer end 24C1, is sized to slidably fitwithin holes 24A1 and 24B1. Spring 24D is folded lengthwise within innertube 24B and has one end attached to stud 24C. When one of the holes24A1 in outer tube 24A is aligned with 24C stud in hole 24B1 in innertube 24B, as shown, the stud will lock the outer tube 24A to the innertube 24B. However, when enough longitudinal force is applied betweenouter tube 24A and inner tube 24B, stud 24D will be forced inward out ofhole 24F1 because of the stud's rounded head will divert some of theforce. Tubes 24A and 24B can then be longitudinally translated withrespect to one another until the adjacent one of the outer holes 24A1 isaligned with inner hole 24B1 where the spring will again force stud 24Doutward and again lock the tubes together. This can be repeated untilthe desired angle between tube 24 and roll 12 is obtained. An identicalarrangement is provided in telescoping tube 22 as indicated by holes22A1 in FIG. 2. This arrangement permits changing the length of bothtube 22 and 24 until the desired length is obtained, where the end rollsupports 16 and 18 will be near the end of a roll 12 placed upon them.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 illustrate the connection of attachment belts 26 and 28to transport apparatus 10. Opposite ends of belt 28 have a connector 28Aformed by opposed velcro surfaces to secure the opposite ends together.A loop 26B attached to attachment belt 26, and a similar loop 283attached to belt 28. Rings 30C are attached through loops 26B and 28B1.Carrying belt 30 has a handle 30A in its center and snaps 30C attachedto opposite ends. Carrying belt 30 is attached to belts 26 and 28 byattaching snaps 301B to rings 30C.

FIG. 9 shows apparatus 10 with telescoping connectors 22 and 24 extendedand folded together interleaving end roll supports 16 and 18. This isthe orientation used for storage of apparatus 10 to minimize space.

The essence of this invention is allowing a single individual to loadand transport a roll of relatively fragile plastic material withoutdamage. The ability to adjust the supports prior to loading providesadditional protection. The carrying belt can readily be placed upon ashoulder to provide hands free sturdy support. The ability to fold thetelescoping extensions together greatly reduces the storagerequirements. This is particularly important when transporting theapparatus. The particular means used to accomplish the roll support, tochange the distance between the supports and lock the distances, theparticular means used to change the relative locations of the centerroll support and the end supports and the use of a carrying belt aremerely illustrative of a variety of similar means that could accomplishthe same result. As an example, a rod could be substituted for thecarrying belt with similar results. The true scope of this inventiontherefore is defined by the appended claims.

It will be understood that this disclosure, in many respects, is onlyillustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters ofshape, size, material, and arrangement of parts without exceeding thescope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is asdefined in the language of the appended claims.

1. Apparatus for transporting rolled deformable sheet material,comprising: a) a plurality of roll support means spaced axially along aroll length for supporting and transporting a roll of material; b) basesupport means for mounting a central roll support means; b) a pluralityof means for telescopically connecting the central base support means toeach of the other support means; and b) means for carrying the apparatusby one person.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said roll supportmeans comprise at least three support saddles, one being located nearthe center and the others being distributed along opposite ends of theroll, with each support means having an outwardly extending U-shapedextension sized to engage a cross-section of said roll.
 3. Apparatus asin claim 1 wherein said telescoping connecting means comprise relativelymovable inner and outer tubes, and further including means for lockingthe inner and outer tubes together at predetermined lengths. 4.Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said tubes have means for pivoting thetubes outwardly with respect to the base support means until the rollsupport means are adjacent each other.
 5. Apparatus as in claim 3wherein said telescoping connecting means further comprises: a) theinner tubes being hollow having a predetermined first dimension from theouter surface to the hollow interior, and the outer tubes being hollowand having a predetermined second dimension from the outer surface tothe hollow interior, said inner tube having a radially oriented firsthole of a predetermined size, and the outer tube having a plurality ofradially oriented second holes the same size as the first hole which arespaced equally from one another and aligned along the tube length, thetubes being arranged such that as the overlap is changed between themsuccessive second holes of the outer tube will become aligned with thefirst hole of the inner tube; b) a cylindrically shaped stud having arounded end centered on the longitudinal axis end, the stud being sizedto slidably fit within said holes, the stud having a length along itsaxis equal to the sum of the dimensions equal to the total dimensionsbetween the outer surface and the interior of both inner and outertubes, the stud being located within said first hole with the roundedend outward; c) a folded U-shaped flat spring located within said innertube with the folded portion aligned with the length of the tube, oneend being attached to the inner end of the stud such that the springwill urge the stud outwardly until the inner end of the stud isessentially aligned with the inner surface of the inner tube. 7.Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said base support means furthercomprises means for adjusting the extension of said center roll supportmeans with respect to the base.
 8. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein saidcarrying means comprises a pair of attachment belts and a carrying belt,with the attachment belts being arranged to removably encircle oppositeends of the apparatus and transported roll, and with the carrying beltbeing connected between the attachment belts.